Light Truck Tires (LT) verses Standard Load Tires(SL), Which is right for you? | Harry Situations
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มิ.ย. 2024
- Toyota puts Standard Load (SL) tires on Toyota Tacomas from the factory (even the off road models), despite them not being nearly as robust as the Light Truck (LT) tires that are offered from the factory on the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Ford Ranger Tremor. Why does Toyota do this? Standard Load tires are lighter, less expensive, and provide less rolling resistance that LT tires. That equates to better fuel mileage, but you won’t be thinking about your mileage if you get a puncture on the trail. Is this is a rational concern or overkill for most Tacoma owners?
Nitto offers the Recon Grappler in the popular 285/70R17 size in both a SL
(Standard Load) and LT (Light Truck) carcass. The Standard Load tire weighs 49 pounds, is rated to carry 2756 pounds each at 44 psi, and has 13.6/32nds tread depth. In contrast, the LT Recon Grappler weighs 55 pounds, is rated to carry 3750 pounds at 80 psi, and has 16/32nds tread depth. Are LT tires necessary if you take your Tacoma off-road or are Standard Load tires perfectly acceptable? Or even advantageous? Keep watching to find out!
Chapters:
Intro- 0:00
How Do They Differ- 0:38
Carcass Stiffness- 1:27
Durometer and Tread Depth- 2:25
Tread Pattern Differences- 3:05
Tire Weight- 4:35
Tire Size/Height- 5:52
Tire Mounting and Balancing- 6:30
Tire Testing- 7:05
Tire Pressure and Footprint- 8:34
Puncture Resistance- 9:28
Overall Impressions- 10:00
Outro- 11:21
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Nitto Recon Grappler: www.nittotire.com/light-truck...
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Keywords: Driving Line; Harry Situations; All-Terrain Family; Nitto Tire; Nitto Recon
Grappler; Toyota Tacoma; P Metric; SL; Standard Load; LT; Light Truck tire;
285/70R17; load rating - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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I got to be honest I was skeptical going into this video, but the fact that you highlighted the positives of a SL grade entire makes me believe you’re truthful and upfront with the audience that is lacking in a lot of videos, especially sponsored videos. Great job.!
Me too! That earned a subscriber out of me. There's so many TH-cam videos that echo the same thing. I bought some SL Toyo A/T 3 tires yesterday and I started second guessing my choice. This makes me feel much better that I made the right choice for my 4Runner.
@@nkiaoda1025I hope they're good! Toyota owner here and my new setup i have is an SL tire from xL tire. Just need to have them installed
I almost skipped this video!! I am glad and feel smarter after watching it and admit I was wrong.
Thank you for taking the time to do it, and I look forward to watching more.
Great video! Engaging, straightforward, and I can tell you changed your own mind. Thank you!
Great info as usual. There are so many awesome overbuilt heavy duty tires today. Nice to have choices, and some rigs need them. But some milder or lighter rigs don't...
Thanks for the video. Backs up everything that makes sense to me. This is the exact direction I plan to go with the Yokohama, I believe they offered both?
Excellent info HW! Just about to make the decision for @vansherpa 170 4WD Sprinter and I am thinking hard about the NITTO LT … love your work!
I have seen much better durability out of LT tires than SL on suburban/Tahoe vehicles. It would be nice if the manufacturers made more C load tires for the sizes that are popular for Jeeps and Toyotas.
A big ass Suburban probably needs those heavier tires for sure
One of the more informative videos on tires!
Thanks!
Thank you for the video. You answered 98% of my questions in just a few minutes. The 2% is which one do you recommend for snow and rain. I live in FL so I need something for the rain especially on the Hwy and I go skiing in Upstate NY so that’s the snow part. Thanks again plus I just sub.
Thank you for helping me understand better!
Definitely what I was looking for to clarify the actual difference in feel from SL vs LT/E rated tires. Thanks!
Been looking for a solid explanation between the two. Getting ready to put a new set of tires on my 2013 ford expedition EL Limited. Wasn't sure if i needed the E load since its such a big SUV, but i think SL is going to be just fine. All highway/city driving on all season tires.
This was exactly the comparison that I was looking for right now and deciding between the SL and LT's. I've had the SL Wildpeaks AT3Ws in the stock size for the 4runner and looking at the extra weight moving up to the 285 LTs just seemed a lot for what we use the motor for. After this I'm taking a serious look at the the AT3Ws in the 285/70R17 SL size which only adds an extra 4lbs per tire vs 12.4lbs in the LT E load variant, it gives the same height increase and like you stated provides a nicer ride on and off road. Also the better MPG and less stress on the drivetrain is great, providing hopefully better reliability in the long run. Easier to change a punctured tire on the trail/road than some other link. I just wished Falken made a 275/70R17 C load that didn't weigh as much (give or take) as the 285 LT E load, so as to have a nice middle ground, I reckon that would be perfect! Thanks for the video, really useful!
Thanks for putting this together. I just realized that a shop sold me LT tires for an older 2dr Wrangler and now I know why they don't flex as much and ride poorly on the road. I won't make the same mistake on my baby Ford Ranger. Thanks!!!
Drop the air down. The pressure required for an LT tire is usually significantly lower than what an SL tire needs to carry the same weight. Chalk test FTW!
@@daveisnothere you are correct, but I can't air down any lower to match the flex of a p-rated tire without going below safe pressures for a road legal non-beadlock rim.
@@matthew.tamasco You may be surprised how low you can go with a load range C/D/E tire with a modern alloy wheel. They have a very robust bead locking ridge on the inside of the wheel. When you have to break the bead manually in the field with a tire hammer you'll find out exactly how good it really is, I've fought plenty of them myself. I have driven my 67 CJ5 with LR C 33x1250R15's about a mile at 40 mph with the valve cores removed to prove a point about airing down "too far" once. This included 4 right hand turns at intersections. I have never had a bead come off and no damage has ever been done to my tires running single digit pressures everywhere. My CJ only weighed 2000 lbs though and one tire was rated to carry 2500.
A Wrangler weighs in at 3200 lbs for a YJ and up to 5800 lbs for the heaviest 2024 model. Since a typical Load range C tire is rated to carry at least 2500 lbs, They can be aired down enough for running in the sand without getting too low for non-beadlock wheels. Load range E would probably hold a Wrangler up even almost flat.
I am actually a little concerned that tire manufacturers are getting rid of Load Range C and going to mostly Load Range E in a lot of tire sizes that smaller SUVs/pickups run. A friend has been trying to find some 16" tires for his Tacoma and almost all he can find are LR E.
@@daveisnothere I understand what you are saying but I'm still not going to run a tire at 1 or 2 psi and still not get the flex and grip that a p-rated tire gives me at 10psi or more. It's about off trail grip that you simply can't get on many LT tires under a light vehicle because no matter how low you run the psi, you can't get the same level of tire flex.
Nicely done!
Excellent breakdown! I totally agree with your conclusions. 👍
Would have loved to see this video about two months ago when i was deciding which one to get. Watched it now and realized i made the right choice :)
Great video
I concurr with the conclusions stated. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon comes standard with Load C KO2s. I have a set of load D KO22 in about the same size and there is a noticeable difference in ride quality. I would never even consider a load range E unless I absolutely needed the additional load capacity. The KO2a have excellent side wall protection and I have never had any issues with them. I am not even sure there is a difference in side wall protection between the load ranges. On my fourth set BTW.
This is amazing, i have already ordered and recieved my new set of wheel and tires and am going from an XL 15in to a SL 16in flon my truck when installed. The amount of weight i'm saving is 40 plus lbs. I'm hoping the ride comfort for bumpy and gravel roads eases up plenty. The XL tires have performed amazingly in the ways I would want them to. But i couldn't pass up the deal on tires that I bought and the chance of letting someone else by the wheels i like. Edit: thanks for the interesting video content like this video here.
Now do a video on the different tire pressure requirements between SL and E load rated tires please. I see many people underfilling E load tires based on the vehicle recommended pressure (based on SL load). E rated tires need more pressure for the same load.
What would you recommend for a 1500 Silverado z71? Don’t tow much more than 1000 lbs at most a few times a year but do go off road at times in the desert and forest. Currently have hard metric tires but wondering if the LT would be worth the peace of mind.
Have a question. I have a 2024 Ram rebel and looking to go bigger then stock. I found some with a C rating and a E rating. Which one will I b
Need for the rebel. Mostly highway driving
This is timely video, thanks! I appreciate that back to back comparison on the same vehicle. I am about to replace the tires on my Tundra and considering a move from p tires to either lt d load or just going to an xl (extra load) passenger tire and maybe moving from a 275/55/20 to a 275/60/20 as that weight change is only a couple of pounds, depending on brand, staying more or less around 45 lbs a tire. I am really wondering if that little of a size and weight increase would create any substantial negative impact on performance, especially if I am staying with a tire that does not add more than a couple pounds to the tire weight?
On a note as I have looked at tire weights, there is a large difference between brands. Toyo at3 for example in a 275/55/20 lt e load tire is showing 50 lbs, verses say cooper at3 lt e load in the same size is 55 lbs. I have noticed across the board, Toyo is generally much lighter compared to most tires. Makes me wonder about the construction. Is Toyo using that much better quality material or construction and building a better tire even though it weighs less or is the cooper and others that weight more, actually a more robust tire by possibly having more material in the tire? Just brings up a lot of questions when you go to considering the weight of different tires across brands.
You are asking all the right questions! Personally I would go with the XL tires. Any added height and weight is going to impact performance, but a smaller difference will likely be almost unnoticeable. Regarding Toyo, in my experience they are very durable, but I agree with the logic that a heavier time by it’s nature has more material in it and will be tougher. I guess it comes down to whether that “tougher” is necessary or not, which can be a really hard thing to quantify.
Thanks! For sure, difficult to determine how tough is really needed.
Thank you for this! Surprised at how little information on load rating is out there when it’s probably the most important aspect to consider when buying AT tires. For my daily driven Taco the SL makes way more sense than even a C load.
Great video. Interested to see what you think about something I am working on. Currently running E Load Duratracs (285/70/17) and ride is rough and MPG is poor. All I have on my vehicle is a roof rack and underbody armor (total is probably around 350 lbs). I am thinking about running Toyo AT 3 in SL in the Winter as I don’t then and a separate wheel and tire package in the summer when I do tow my small teardrop. Probably a C Load. Do you think I would be good or do you think that due to the armor I should run a C Load in the Winter as well. I live in CO for what it’s worth. Thanks and great video!
I think that you will be fine with the standard load tires in the winter. Some of your mileage loss might be due to the roof rack. Not sure how easy it is to remove but I would be curious if you see an improvement in mileage.
@@HarrySituations I actually went from 17 mpg down to 14 mpg with just the body armor. Oddly enough, I just added the aluminum roof rack from a steel roof basket just this past month to it and now I am sitting at 14.8 mpg. Took it to a tire shop after a month to see if anything needed to be adjusted and they said no and everything looked good.
Biggest issue I've seen, that is more common lately, is so many people put a load range E tire on a lighter vehicle and then still run the pressure listed on the door jam , or worse yet, the max pressure listed on the sidewall. Do the chalk test, it will tell you really close to the pressure you need for your vehicle/tire combo. Don't worry if there is a bit of variance between the 4 tires either, or if the pressure seems low.
I went with the LT tires on my Silverado 1500, but as somebody who runs lot of dirt road solo, the puncture resistance is more important to me than to most. I'd probably go for standard load otherwise.
Yeah the puncture resistance is something that is hard to quantify.
Same reason i put lt's on my subaru crosstrek
Would
I need the LT or SL for a 22 f150 ? Thanks
How about a suburban? Vs sharp rocks?
Thanks in advance
Some good info.
You seem to have forgotten to mention unsprung weight, unsprung weight can make a huge difference to ride quality as well as shock longevity and the way the truck handles and reacts during critical situations. I would appreciate seeing some content exploring more into this topic!! Great video!! I appreciate you shining some light on this topic, as I run into more and more people running LT tires arbitrarily on rigs that don't need them.
Great point about the unsprung weight. I’ve always considered it when shopping for wheels but haven’t given it enough consideration in the past for tires.
I guess he didn't mention it, but I did notice that the way the LT tires react to bumps differs greatly from the SLs. It's hard to quantify, but I definitely felt it. You can feel the inertia of the wheel/tire delaying moving with the terrain. I will also note that we did not change shock settings between the two tires, which may have helped but would have muddied the waters for sure.
@@AllTerrainFamilydo you mean the LT reacts more poorly to terrain ? Or is that a benefit that it doesn’t move as much?
@@vr-tl9uh2 I wouldn't call it a benefit. When a heavy tire hits a bump it transmits that forst into the car and the suspension can't control it. With the lighter tires, the suspension reacts, and you feel less impact.
@@AllTerrainFamily understandable. I have an 18’ Silverado 1500 that came with 265/65/r18 P metric tires. I found the Recons come with larger sizes that are in hard metric. The size I was seeing was a 295/70/r18 which comes in both hard metric 116 index or a heavy LT E. Do I need to upgrade to LT or could I stick with hard metric? My use is daily driver with some forest/ desert roads trips once in a while. I don’t do anything serious like MOAB, etc.
Without question the weight of the tire is the reason I go sl with my sluggish Tacoma.
On the fence with these tires because they don’t have the 3 peak snow rating I look for.
Interesting though that the sl gives you more siping which is a good thing for snow.
Nitto doesn’t show that on their website which is a misstep on their part for advertising.
E and c load for my Yokohama g015 we’re the same price. I originally wanted the e since it had more tread and presumably longer tread life. Glad I didn’t since I don’t even feel the tires are grippy enough in the street now.
The greater tread depth was always a motivating factor for me as well. I was surprised when I couldn’t visibly tell the difference between the two Recon Grapplers.
My C load KO2s are about 8 lbs lighter than the same tire with an E load rating. Both are LT but I feel that my tires provide a very comfortable ride. I don't know if the E load are more puncture resistant, but I believe that they're stiffer. I'm happy with the c load rated version.
That is what I found when making this video. Now I just with that there were more large tires offered in Load Range C!
My sentiments exactly
Harry never gets tired... of talking about tires!
It’s true!
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This is exactly what I was looking for. After running E-loads on my Xterra for years and buying a new Tacoma I couldn’t decided between a C-load or SL, I’m going to stick with an SL now.
Another mising variable in the LT tire lines. Depends on C,D,E load range. Will affect weight, compliance, bulge when airing down.
I have C load in LT, perfect medium
Yeah these LT tires were Load Range C. The specs on the Standard Load tire (max inflation pressure and max weight) are very similar to most Load Range C tires.
Use SL Hankook ATs here on Australian outback unpaved roads and tracks. Definitely have a few more punctures, but the very cushy ride , sand driving ability and better fuel economy/range make this the better choice. The LTs are good for extreme rocks and sharp roots, but SLs much better everywhere else. Carry 2 spares to even the odds.
What would you guys in the comments recommend for 295/65R20 RTs for a 18 F150? SL or LT. don’t usually haul more than 600 lbs in the bed, never tow, but I do take it on dirt roads and up rock/gravel trails to mt peaks during the summer. NH for environment perspective
I haven't seen any options in an SL in that size, so that might make a decision for you.
@@HarrySituations Makes sense, sometimes tire searching can be a pain so I'm glad I got input from someone. Decision made I guess. Thanks for replying!
With the LT tires you had a blip that showed 80 PSI MAX. What are the benefits of increasing tire pressure and why would I do that? My door jam says 35.
You would want to run more air if you had a heavy vehicle or were towing.
Door jam psi is for stock size and load rated tires.
Load range D for me! Best of both worlds for my Tundra!
Light truck tires is all you need if you're not off-road or haul heavy
I have a 2019 Ram Rebel, that came with LT 275 70 18 tires. I’m looking at recon grapplers and just want to buy the same tire size. Should I go with the “LT”
You’ll have to buy the LT tire since your truck came with LT tires. Now if your truck came with factory SL tires, you would have the option for either one. This is due to sidewall flex as the LT will flex much less than an SL. Since your truck came with the LT tire they designed the handling with that additional stiffness in mind. A good tire shop would not install the SL on your truck for safety reasons.
What about a mainly daily driven Silverado 1500 that tows 5500lbs maybe twice or three times a year.
I think I would probably get the LT tires for your truck since you do tow sometimes. I think the tread life will be better too since they are a little harder compound and you have a V8.
I suspected this and I chose c load rated ko2’s for my gladiator, but 37” lighter load rated all terrains are hard to find. I noticed some Of the same things. Better gas mileage , better ride and handling, better traction at times because the sidewalls flex better
Yeah the KO2s are the only Load Range C 37-inch tire that I know of. I plan to run 35x11.5 Load Range C Nitto Trail Grapplers on my Tundra after this test.
@@HarrySituations now if you could put in a word to nitto to make a 37x11.5 snowflake rated tire I’d be stoked.
@@Scoobienorth I love the 37x11.5 Recon Grapplers on my Ram. No snowflake rating though unfortunately.
One question? I have a 14 tundra on LT’s should you run higher pressures than the recommended in the sticker?
Also definitely getting SL next time. Don’t go off road, or tow, so 1-2mpg sounds great!
Yes probably 40psi for street.
I wonder about these new XL Rating is that between SL and LT?
That is what I'm running on my truck,it's a good compromise between the two
What would you consider "towing a lot"? I tow my camper about a dozen or more times per year. It weighs 6000 lbs. Is LT the better choice?
What vehicle are you towing with? How much does it weigh?
@@HarrySituations 2008 Toyota Sequoia. Factory tow package and airbags.
@@spiralnapkinI would probably run LT tires on your Sequoia. You could get away with Standard Load tire but your Toyota weighs quite a bit more and makes a whole lot more power than the Tacoma in this video. Add in the towing and I think the LT is the right call. If you are running the stock size there are some good LT options in Load Range C that I think would be a perfect fit.
What about load C vs Load E like what’s on a Jeep rubicon is load C
That would be comparable to our Standard Load in this video. Nitto makes a 35x11.5R17 Trail Grappler in a Load Range C that I ordered for my Tundra to replace the Load Range E tires after making this video.
Check that your replacement tires can meet the GAWR of your vehicle. Tire weight limits vary between sizes and weight ratings. Do your homework carefully.
One thought after watching. With the load range E air pressure should be lower than with the SL tire. For street do the chalk test on both and it will be obvious.
For an example, on my fathers 70 CJ5 he ran a SL and load range C at different times the same size. With the SL he ran 30 psi and with the LT he ran 20 psi, this was street pressure. Off road he dropped to 15 and 8 respectively. The difference between a SL and those load range E tires is even greater.
Years ago an old-timer explained the main difference between a SL and LT tire, regardless of the actually weight they can carry, this is the 'duty cycle', which no one seems to know about the last several years. A SL tire is rated to carry it's max load 20% of the time, like an occassional trip to the dump hauling trash, the LT tire has a 100% duty cycle so you can run it at max capacity all the time.
As far as puncture resistance, after being in the tire business since 1980 and an avid 4x4 enthusiast since the late 60's i have yet to see a sidewall puncture in a SL tire that wouldnt have also punctured an LT sidewall. Lower air pressure is more protection against them than the tire design.
Thanks for sharing your experience Dave! I do feel like the LT tire is tougher; but sometimes the SL tire can deflect and conform to an object that might puncture the stiffer tire. Or at least that is my thinking.
@HarrySituations Thank you as well for being the most accurate YT'er I've seen with the information you provided.
Tires are very much misunderstood even by the newer so-called professionals especially when it comes to pressure, wheel width and load rating, as well as how those 3 interact. If you put a typical SL tire next to an LT tire the thickness of the sidewall isn't really as different as you may think. Maybe 1/16th of an inch in most cases, and once you compare a C to a D or E the sidewalls may be actually the same. I've even seen higher load ranges where they were even thinner than their lower rated brother. Years ago a 6 ply tire had 6 plys, but since radials were invented the ply rating or load rating just means the plys/cords are just a little thicker each step as you go from SL to C to D to E+.
One thing to also consider, with the softer tread rubber on a SL tire it will give better traction than the thicker tires, load range C will also have softer rubber in the tread than the LR E tire. Load range C tends to be almost as soft as the SL tread, though.
@@daveisnothereI don’t understand how two tires could have the same sidewall but different load ratings. What differentiates the tires at that point?
@HarrySituations as you go up higher in load rating the cords in the sidewall get wound tighter and tighter, which makes them thinner so they use thicker cord which makes them about the same thickness or slightly thicker overall, but stronger. Eventually, they replace the nylon sidewall cords with steel, but usually that is higher than LR E. There are some minor variations/exceptions to this, but the majority do it this way.
@@HarrySituations The sidewall should not be the one carrying weight, if you are in this situation the tire would very quickly get dangerously hot at high speed.
The air should carry the weight, and it's very simple in principle, the amount of air needed to weight is linear. So now you have 2 possibility to have more air to carry more weight, bigger tires or higher pressure (more air particles in the same volume). So LT or c-metric tires are just tire capable to withstand higher pressure to carry more weight at the same size than a passenger tire. Now, on how to make a tire to resist a higher air pressure there are probably lot of ways and technology that are not only making everything thicker (for exemple, a material more resistant to stretching than another would allow higher pressure at same thickness).
Now, on the 4x4 world the combo trend of going for always bigger tires and LT tires means people run tire way to stiff for the weight of their vehicle... So the tire doesn't deform and the only way to have some flex is to run them too low in pressure.
Sipes are not to evacuate snow but to pack it in. Snow on snow friction is not too bad and that makes for a better snow tire.
My understanding is that the pressure from your tire melts the snow and if it doesn't have any place to go that little sheet of water/ice will cause hydroplaning.
If the road is rocky and the snow is little, mud tires will still work. If the snow is deep enough that the bumpy road smooths out or it is a smooth surface to begin with, a winter tire will start to out perform a mud tire in a significant way. In the situation where the snow tire wins, compare it to a mud tire. A mud tire ejects everything and looks clean in the snow. A good snow tire will be heavily packed with snow. Packing snow into the tire is what makes it work well in the snow. Look at some picture of winter tires in action compared to mud tires that remove everything, or try the comparison yourself, should be fun anyway. Another way to see snow on snow friction is to make a very tightly packed snow ball, then try to sheer it.
Interesting test. I run KO2's on my Tacoma. BFG KO2's only come in LT ratings. I had a choice between C or E rated. In the past I ran E rated because shit happens in Arizona with all the sharp rocks, but recently I tried the C rated. I don't notice a significant difference.
That surprises me to hear. I think there is a reason Toyota puts P Metric tires on Tacomas and Jeep puts C load range tires on Wranglers.
The actual tread lug pattern is different also
I love my nitto tires a lot, but, I put E rated 35s on my 2dr JL Rubicon and it rides terrible, I will be going back to a C rated or standard rated tire when these wear out. There aren’t very many oversized comfortable tires out there for lightweight vehicles like Jeeps.
Nitto makes a Trail Grappler in a 35x11.50R17 in a Load Range C that I am a big fan of. Worth considering for your next tires.
Yup. Just wish there were some sub-50lb 33" all-terrain pizza cutters out there.
Never even considered buying non l.t. tires. I never tow/haul much any more. My truck rides like crap..
I was shocked at the difference in ride quality. I don't think I will put LT tires on a midsize vehicle again if I can avoid it.
When say Standard Load, do you mean c and d or just c?
@@robbanks7393 It depends on the tire brand. Nitto doesn't label these LT, but they are comparable in spec to LT Load Range C from other brands, Nitto calls them 285/70 R17 116T.
Estaba viendo el directo de spiderman 2 de vegetta 777 cap 2 y me quede dormido y acabe aqui😂
About $1000.
You better not put no load range c tires on your tundra!
Why not???
P rated Cooper 4s on my Tundra, in the 18" narrow spare size. Gas is $8 bucks a gallon where I live...sometimes more.
Oh my God how many times can you say tire in a short video. It's starting to give me a headache. A tip for future videos don't keep repeating one word a million times. We all know it's SL or LT you don't have to keep throwing tire in on everything you say
He mentions tyres a lot in a video about tyres 🤔🇬🇧
Looks like you got tired of hearing about tires 🙂
Great job Love this video help me considerably thank you